Cars stored 8 years

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sigfla

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I need some advice on what to look out for. I have an HPI Baja that was broken in and stored with a tiny amount of fuel in the tank. My Losi 5ive T was never run. I had just finished installing lights and kill switches when I put it in storage. What should I look out for to get both cars up and running? The HPI will either get a new tank or I will clean the existing one. It all depends on what it looks like when I unhook it. Both trucks have stock engines so eventually I will upgrade so I am not super worried about longevity in either. I thought about just dumping some seafood in the HPI and firing it up but I should probably try and do better. New gaskets???

The Losi is getting a new Futaba 4PM setup as I got tired of fiddling with my Spektrum DX3s and the lights + Super Bee. Its an either or with the 3rd channel but I never was able to get the Super Bee to flash the kill code on the LED when I cut TX power using CH3 to control lights. In any case 4 channels and Futaba should work better.
 
I need some advice on what to look out for. I have an HPI Baja that was broken in and stored with a tiny amount of fuel in the tank. My Losi 5ive T was never run. I had just finished installing lights and kill switches when I put it in storage. What should I look out for to get both cars up and running? The HPI will either get a new tank or I will clean the existing one. It all depends on what it looks like when I unhook it. Both trucks have stock engines so eventually I will upgrade so I am not super worried about longevity in either. I thought about just dumping some seafood in the HPI and firing it up but I should probably try and do better. New gaskets???

The Losi is getting a new Futaba 4PM setup as I got tired of fiddling with my Spektrum DX3s and the lights + Super Bee. Its an either or with the 3rd channel but I never was able to get the Super Bee to flash the kill code on the LED when I cut TX power using CH3 to control lights. In any case 4 channels and Futaba should work better.

I bought a used HPI Baja that the previous owner had sitting around for about the same amount of time. I just fueled it up and it literally fired up right away. The fuel lines seemed really hard, so I changed those. Aside from that, it run like a champ. I would check gaskets if you had a fluctuating idle. Make sure the priming bulb doesn't leak and I guess that the fuel filter is in good shape, then you're good to go. Change the spark plug if you want to?
 
Well I am close to lighting it up. I cycled my receiver pack and it is holding a good charge. Kill switch, etc all works. Plug “looks” fine (tried to buy one today but couldn’t find one at hardware store). Off hand I decided to check the air filter. Mind you it looked perfectly clean and new. Once I touched the outer filter it fell apart. The inner filter was yellow and totally broken apart. I cleaned all that out and replaced with a new oiled one that I had still in the package (lucky). My Losi filter is in the same shape. If I hadn’t touched them I would have never realized. Anyway new filters on order for both but the HPI looks good to fire up now.
 
Well then go fire it up! See how it runs.

Not changing the spark plug isn't the worst thing in the world. If the plug looks fine and the truck fires up then the plug is fine anyway. Maybe order one so you have a spare or two as they're cheap but yeah...just run it!
 
I am going to fire it up tomorrow. I stupidly took my Clunk filter out of the tank b/c I thought how hard can it be to clean and give me a little more insurance. After cleaning my tank it still looked a little dirty. It looks like I opened a small can of worms by doing that. I did a net search and found a guy who back flushes his every year with alcohol and has no issues. I would just go buy another but they seem out of stock online and I have little faith my local shop will have any, they appear pretty electric focused. Anyway its soaking in a glass covered in 91% alcohol right now. The filter looks better than it did and I am going to pull it out in the morning and let it dry for an hour or so before I reinstall it. Then we will see if this thing fires up. Its been sitting in a hot storage unit for a few years and even though my fuel lines look and feel fine I literally had to cut the filter off b/c my black line had melted itself on the filter nipple. Another option is I read online that Ace Hardware may carry Poulon blower filters that would work. I may head over there while mine is drying and see.
 
BAM, 3-4 pulls and it cranked right up no sweat. I do have some leakage around the fuel line gasket however. My brakes were almost non existent and I have no idea why b/c they were adjusted fine when I put it away. I did notice I have a driveshaft boot on the rear left side that is eaten away so I will have to replace those.
 
Right now it seems ok. I read somewhere to twist it clockwise and it seems to have gotten tight. In any case I ordered a new set.
 
New lines installed today. My SC has lousy access for a guy with left thumbs and big hands. Anyway my factory grommet was tight after turning it but nowhere near as snug as the new unit. Gave me a chance to use the clean new chunk filter as well. The dark line required the full air filter housing be removed and some fiddling on my part but it slid on easy. The yellow line had better access but was much tighter to slide on. Anyway I hope I don’t have problems now bc my truck was running nice even if it spit a little fuel
Decided to upgrade to a 5000 mah venom pack as well. I swear I had one before but so many years passed with the trucks in storage it may have been installed on my first modded Baja buggy that I traded to buy the trucks. No more mods until I need a new set of servos. Then maybe a bigger cc engine.
 
The issue you need to be aware of when 2 stroke engines sit for very long periods of time is rust developing the the crank bearings, and the cylinder walls. 2 stroke engines if not treated with storage oil will rust up and while the engine may start and run good, the engine will quickly self destruct itself.
 
The issue you need to be aware of when 2 stroke engines sit for very long periods of time is rust developing the the crank bearings, and the cylinder walls. 2 stroke engines if not treated with storage oil will rust up and while the engine may start and run good, the engine will quickly self destruct itself.
At that point I assume there isn't much I can do anyway. If it blows its an excuse to go bigger anyway. I wasn't gonna break it apart to confirm all that in any case. So for now I am fully enjoying it and if it seizes up I'll drop another in there.
 
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